Earth compaction roller construction



May 9, 1967 w, R E 3,318,211

EARTH COMPACTION ROLLER CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 17, 1964 INVENTOR.

william f. 6mm

1477 URNE Y5 United States Patent 3,318,211 EARTH COMPACTIGN ROLLERCONSTRUCTION William E. Grace, W. E. Grace Mfg, (30., 6000 Lamar St. 5.,Dallas, Tex. 75215 Filed Dec. 17, 1964, Ser. No. 419,121 1 Claim. (Cl.94--50) This invention relates to devices employed for the compaction ofload-bearing surfaces of roads, airfields, playing fields, walks, etc.,formed of soil, earth, road-oil mixtures, black-top or otherfunctionally comparable aggregate materials, and particularly concernsan improved roller construction for effecting surface compaction ofearth or aggregate materials.

It has been proposed heretofore to make aggregate breaking andcompacting rollers out of heavy gauge hexagonal openings are larger thaninner rims thereof;

The outer rims of the openings have alternate elevated or chiseled andrecessed points. The elevated or chiseled points are each defined by sixtapered inclined wall surfaces. Thus the angular cutting edge of eachhexagonal opening has three elevated points alternating with threerecessed points. The flaring construction of the openings resistscollection of earth in the openings and facilitates cleaning. The sharpelevated or chiseled points alternating with the sharp recessed pointsare very effective in breaking up soft rock and aggregate and theirinclined surfaces are easier to clean.

It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to providean earth breaking and compacting roller with a cylindrical drum-shapedbody having hexagonal openings which flare outwardly between inner andouter sides of the body.

A further object is to provide an earth compactmg roller with anopen-faced or perforated drum-shaped body as described, whereinalternate points of outer rims or cutting edges of the openings areelevated above adjacent outer points so that each opening has angularcutting edges with three outer high points and three outer low points.

Still another object is to provide an open-faced or perforateddrum-shaped body for an earth breaking and compacting roller whereineach of the three high points and three low points of the angularcutting edge of each hexagonal opening is defined by six inclined,tapered faces.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings and to the appended claim in which the variousnovel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an earth breaking and compactingroller embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of part of the roller of FIG. 1, developed on aflat plane, and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

The roller structure shown in FIG. 1 has a generally cylindricalopen-faced or perforated drurn-shaped sectional body construction and isadapted for mounting in a trailer behind a tractor or for mounting as adrive roller in a tractor. The roller structure comprises spaced rolls 8and 9 with circular rings 12, 14 at opposite ends and has a center ring16 separating the rolls. Suitable bushings 23 supported on arms 24 maybe attached to rings 12, 14 to receive an axle supported on an opensubstantially rectangular frame 15 by means of which the rollerstructure is rotatably secured to an open substantially rectangularframe 15 of a trailer or tractor. Boxes 17 containing ballast arepreferably supported on the frame 15 forwardly and rearwardly of theroller for adding weight to the roller.

The drum-shaped body of the roller is formed with a multiplicity ofhexagonal openings 20 distributed uniformly between the rings. Theperforated drumshaped body constitutes an integral heavy cast metalstructure. The inner surface of the body is smooth. Inner rims 22 of thehexagonal openings are spaced apart by webs 26. Outer rims of theopenings are hexagonal and contiguous with each other. A widewedge-shaped structure W is defined between the inner web 26 and eachpair of slanted surfaces or faces F terminating in a sharp ridge or edgeE. Adjacent edges E meet at radially outer or elevated points A and atadjacent radially inner points A which are recessed with respect topoints A. There are three outer points A alternating with three innerpoints A around the outer hexagonal rim or cutting edge of each'opening20, as indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, each outer point A is lo cated at the apex ofsix adjacent inclined trapezoidal faces Fl-F6. The faces F1F6 all havelonger outer top edges and shorter opposing parallel inner edges. Endsof the trapezoidal faces terminate at grooves G. It will be apparentthat the outer points A are all tapered and fluted with three shortgrooves G alternating with three long ridges E.

The perforated drum-shaped body structure is preferably made ofindividual hexagonal segments welded together to form the completeroller. However the perforated drum-shaped body could be cast orotherwise formed from a lesser number of segments.

Adjacent ends of faces F1, F2, F3, F4, F5 and F6 define grooves G.Adjacent edges of faces F2, F3, F4, F5 and F6, F1 define ridges E.Groove G extends between innermost points P and intermediate points A.

The described arrangement constitutes an angular cutting edge with threevery strong piercing points A alternating with three very strong taperedcrushing points A at each opening 20. Clogging of the openings by brokenand compacted earth is resisted since the faces F all incline outwardlyto the radius of the roller passing through the center of each opening20. The faces F flare outwardly so that collected earth readily fallsout of the openings.

The ground is broken effectively by the sharp edges E and points A and Aas the roller moves along the ground and very thorough compaction takesplace. A minimum of earth and aggregate enters the openings through thenarrow rims 22 of the openings 20 and can easily be cleaned away fromthe interior of the roller while the points A and A remain clear ofbroken and compacted material which slides off faces F. Boxes 17 areshown forwardly and rearwardly of the roller for holding ballast to addWeight to the roller.

The roller can be made in various diameters, lengths and thicknesses tomeet specified requirements. The onepiece construction of the rollerwith its rigid perforated drum-shaped body is very durable and adaptedfor long, heavy-duty roadwork. Another use for the roller is for pushingdown into the earth where the soil is reasonably loose of small bouldersso as to leave a smooth burrow ditch or road shoulder.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of myinvention, it is to be understood that 3 I do not limit myself to theprecise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes andmodifications may be made within the scope of the invention as definedin the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent A roller for breaking andcompacting earth, stone and the like, comprising a hollow cylindricalintegrally formed perforated drum-shaped body structure, means forrotatably mounting said structure to rotate on its central axis, saidstructure having a multiplicity of uniformly distributed openings, eachof the openings having an inner smaller hexagonal rim, adjacent innerrims of the openings being separated by straight webs, each of theopenings having a larger outer hexagonal rim, adjacent outer rims of theopenings being contiguous with each other, the inner and outer rims ofeach opening being defined by inner and outer opposing straight edgesrespectively of six trapezoidal flat faces, said faces having abuttingnarrow end edges defining three straight short grooves, said faceshaving abutting side edges defining straight ridges alternating with thegrooves, each of the ridges being defined by one of said webs and twoadjacent fiat faces inclined to the plane of the one Web, the outer rimsof each of the openings having three alternate outwardly extended pointsand three alternate recessed points located outwardly of the inner rimsof the openings and inwardly of the outwardly extended points, wherebythe outwardly extended points and ridges serve to pierce and cut theearth and stone while the recessed points and flat faces serve tocompact the earth and stone, said faces flaring outwardly between theinner and outer rims of the openings so that crushed earth and stonetend to slide off said faces and out of the openings.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,007,536 10/1911Cooley 94-48 2,582,199 1/1952 Gardner 9450 2,911,893 11/1959 Archibald9450 3,220,369 11/1965 Gandrud 94-50 X JACOB L. NACKENOFF, PrimaryExaminer.

